The present invention relates to a pallet for supporting and transporting cylindrical objects. A special adaptation of the pallet is the provision of two detachable retaining end walls, or optionally one detachable end-wall, which after detachment from the upper surface of the pallet can be used as a ramp along which the cylindrical article may be rolled to facilitate removal of the article from the pallet.
It is a common practice in the material handling art to place articles on a pallet to reduce the manual handling of the article and to facilitate movement of the article in commerce by a lift truck or the like. Flat pallets, comprising a flat upper support surface with retaining walls extending therefrom are probably the most common type of pallet at the present time, and have provided an excellent means of transporting and storing many different types of articles. Previous attempts to provide pallets that may be used with cylindrical articles have, however, presented problems. If the pallet has a flat deck, a cylindrical article placed on the deck with its major axis parallel to the support surface, transfers its weight to a single line along the deck. Some cylindrical articles, for example, large rolls of paper or cloth, may be damaged by this type of weight transfer. Another problem with this type of pallet is that removal of heavy cylindrical articles from the pallet by hand can be hazardous to the operator if the articles must be lifted over the retaining walls of the pallet. Yet another problem with flat pallets is that cylindrical articles tend to roll across the support surface during transportation and may be damaged when coming into contact with the retaining walls. Such movement of the article also may cause undesirable instability of the pallet and, thus, of a vehicle by which the pallet may be transported. Blocks of materials, such as wood or polymer, placed between the upper support surface of the pallet and the base of the cylindrical article may be used as a wedge to keep the article from rolling during transport. The blocks may, however, cut into delicate material and cause damage thereto.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved pallet which facilitates the loading and unloading of cylindrical articles thereby minimizing operator injury.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a pallet for rolls of material, such as paper and cloth, in which the pallet is designed to minimize damage to the material during storage and transport, and to eliminate excessive deformation of the delicate material due to transfer of its weight to the supporting structure of the pallet deck.
The invention is illustrated in the attached drawings described below. It is to be understood, however, that applicant's invention is not limited strictly to what is shown in the drawings.